Morgan Stanley $MS Stock Holdings Increased by Strategic Planning Group LLC

Strategic Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 75,668 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,256 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley accounts for 1.7% of Strategic Planning Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Strategic Planning Group LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $13,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Morgan Stanley by 40.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 29,744 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,281,000 after acquiring an additional 8,512 shares in the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 103.1% in the third quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 12,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,019,000 after purchasing an additional 6,448 shares during the period. Donaldson Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 2.0% in the third quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC now owns 467,246 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $74,273,000 after purchasing an additional 9,056 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 52.6% in the third quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 113,504 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $18,043,000 after purchasing an additional 39,104 shares during the period. Finally, A4 Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the third quarter valued at approximately $855,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In other news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total value of $2,779,935.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 365,802 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,224,370.48. This trade represents a 3.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 51,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.59, for a total transaction of $9,744,068.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 282,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,209,159.78. The trade was a 15.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 77,476 shares of company stock worth $14,644,762. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of Morgan Stanley stock opened at $190.89 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $173.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.08. The company has a market cap of $301.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $123.88 and a 1 year high of $194.83.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.70%. Morgan Stanley’s quarterly revenue was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.60 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 11.85 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.23%.

Morgan Stanley News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley was highlighted in multiple pieces as a supportive analyst name, with recent coverage noting a “moderate buy” consensus and a dividend-focused bull case for the stock. That can help reinforce investor confidence in MS as a quality financial name.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm is expanding into lower-fee crypto trading for retail investors, offering Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana at competitive prices. That move could be viewed as a growth initiative that broadens Morgan Stanley’s appeal to younger and more active clients. Will Lower Crypto Fees Help Morgan Stanley Win Retail Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s macro team said Tuesday’s CPI report could come in “spicier” than expected, keeping inflation and Federal Reserve expectations in focus. That’s more of a market-wide trading catalyst than a direct MS fundamental driver. Morgan Stanley Sees ‘Spicier’ CPI as Inflation Week Kicks Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent Morgan Stanley commentary focused on oil-market risks from a possible Strait of Hormuz disruption, which may affect broader risk sentiment and rates/commodity expectations, but does not directly change MS’s operating outlook. Oil Market in ‘Race Against Time’ on Hormuz, Morgan Stanley Says

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on MS. Argus lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $153.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $207.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $196.00 to $214.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Dbs Bank lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.26.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley, the company provides a broad range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions and individual investors. Leadership has been guided by a senior executive team and board of directors; James P. Gorman has served as the company’s chief executive and chairman in recent years.

The firm’s primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.